Mayoral hopeful Wheatley: City ready to cross barrier of growth with all citizens

As a state lawmaker, Rep. Jake Wheatley represents many Pittsburgh neighborhoods. He said the experience and relationships he's built in his current job separate him from his opponents in Pittsburgh's mayoral race.

Wheatley, 41, of the Hill District, said it's time for Pittsburgh to bring change to its culture and to the circumstances its residents face, and that he's the man to do it.

"The most important thing is it's time for them to have a mayor in that seat that cares enough about them to move their issues in front of their own agenda," Wheatley told Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo.

Wheatley said that parts of the city are prospering, but that the prosperity has not touched all Pittsburghers.

"This city is ready to cross a barrier of growth that includes all of our citizens and not some of our citizens," said Wheatley.

That's just one challenge Wheatley said he'd take on as mayor.

"I think the city's financial situation is the number one issue, even though it hasn't been discussed as much. I think crime and violence is right up there with it," Wheatley said.

The candidate proposes aggressive energy cost-saving programs as one way to help ease Pittsburgh's money crunch.

"Being innovative," he said. "We can't continue to believe that Harrisburg and (Washington) D.C. are going to bail our city out. We know that we have to find efficiencies inside our operations."

But he is eying one source of new revenue.

"We can also continue to fight for the nonprofits to have to pay in their payroll taxes, the large nonprofits," Wheatley said.